Faking It with Ariel and Morgan

Ariel Leigh Cohen & Morgan Smith
  • 5.0 (14)
  • FILM REVIEWS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Faking It with Ariel and Morgan is the podcast that strips down the mystery of Hollywood’s most private moments, and makes you laugh while doing it. Hosted by Intimacy Coordinators Ariel Leigh Cohen and Morgan Smith, each episode dives into the world of film sets, sex scenes, and all the awkward, hilarious, and surprisingly tender stories that come with them.From behind-the-scenes Hollywood secrets to spicy movie moments, we’re here to answer the questions you didn’t even know you had: How do actors fake it? What really happens under the covers on set? And what the actors are really wearing?Expect a mix of comedy, storytelling, and real talk about intimacy, relationships, filmmaking, and the art of pretending. If you’re into funny film podcasts, behind-the-scenes stories, acting tips, NSFW comedy, and Hollywood chaos, you’ve just found your new obsession.Subscribe now and stay real, Fakers.

  1. 3D AGO

    Church, But Make It Gay | Why She’s Gotta Have It Feels Like a Religious Experience

    Some shows open quietly. Season 2 of "She’s Gotta Have It" opens with a bang — literally. In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down the iconic simulated sex montage from Season 2, Episode 1 of She’s Gotta Have It, focusing on how lighting, space, and who’s in control radically reshape how intimacy is experienced and understood onscreen. They get into it all: How Spike Lee uses daylight vs candlelight to reflect different emotional statesWhy this scene feels devotional rather than voyeuristicHow Nola’s relationship with Opal marks a shift from exploration to embodimentHow choreography, hair, and stillness do as much storytelling as movementAnd why this scene quietly sets a new bar for how queer Black intimacy is filmed on televisionThey also discuss the evolution from the 1986 film to the Netflix series, what it means to reclaim Nola Darling’s story through a more expansive lens, and why sexually liberated queer Black women are still so rarely given this level of care onscreen. It’s reverent, gorgeous, deeply nerdy, and a reminder that intimacy doesn’t have to escalate to be electric. Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 1:22:10–1:29:34 of the TV show episode and 39:27-40:27 of the movie. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. ----------------------------------------- Credits — She’s Gotta Have It (Season 2, Episode 1: “#IMFEELINGMYFEELINGS”) Director: Spike Lee Writers: Cinqué Lee; Joie Lee; Spike Lee Based on the film: She’s Gotta Have It (1986), written and directed by Spike Lee Producers: Spike Lee; Win Rosenfeld; Charlie Corwin Actors (featured): DeWanda Wise; Ilfenesh Hadera © 2019 Netflix / 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. All rights reserved. Credits — She’s Gotta Have It (1986) Director: Spike Lee Writer: Spike Lee Producers: Spike Lee; Monty Ross Actors (selected): Tracy Camilla Johns; Tommy Redmond Hicks; John Canada Terrell; Steve White; Spike Lee © 1986 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------- Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    33 min

  2. JAN 21

    Is This Allowed? | Why “The Handmaiden” Rewrites Sapphic Sex on Screen

    This episode is a love letter to immaculate choreography, devastating eye contact, and sapphic tension that could power a small city. Ariel and Morgan dive into the two iconic intimacy scenes from Park Chan-wook’s The Handmaiden: with scenes so explicit, so intentional, and so beautifully constructed that they still feel transgressive nearly a decade later. Set during Japan’s occupation of Korea in the 1930s, the film takes familiar sapphic tropes and flips them inside out, using intimacy as liberation rather than spectacle.  They break down why these scenes work on every level: How the film weaponizes restraint, pacing, and POV to build erotic tensionWhy a simple hand-grip deserves its own IMDb creditHow sapphic sex is framed as joy, discovery, and mutual power, not performanceAnd why this might be one of the best examples of the female gaze in modern cinemaThey also unpack the behind-the-scenes approach to filming the intimacy, the deliberate removal of the male gaze, and why The Handmaiden remains a gold standard for what intimate storytelling can look like when trust and intention lead the way. It’s sexy, funny, deeply thoughtful, and a reminder that sometimes the most radical thing a movie can do is let women actually enjoy each other. Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 41:47 to 46:56 and 1:39:53 to 1:44:00. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. ----------------------------------------- Credits — The Handmaiden (2016) Director: Park Chan-wook Writers: Park Chan-wook; Chung Seo-kyung Based on the novel: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters Producers: Park Chan-wook; Syd Lim Actors (featured): Kim Min-hee as Lady Hideko, Kim Tae-ri as Sook-hee © 2016 Moho Film / Yong Film. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------- Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    34 min

  3. JAN 7

    All Props, No Process | Why “Fifty Shades of Grey” Gets BDSM Wrong

    We’re kicking off the new year by finally stepping into the Red Room and immediately asking some hard questions. In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down the infamous first Red Room scene from Fifty Shades of Grey, a film that promised mainstream BDSM and delivered… confusion, questionable choreography, and music doing most of the emotional heavy lifting.  New year, new structure. For 2026, they cut straight to the craft: power dynamics, consent, and why the scene ultimately falls flat. They get into it all: Why the Red Room reads more like spectacle than negotiated intimacyHow the film confuses dominance with control and intensity with compatibilityHow music, montage, and production design work overtime to create heat that isn’t really thereWhat a more grounded, informed version of this scene could have looked likeAnd why Christian Grey seems more turned on by interior design than intimacyThis episode isn’t about kink-shaming. It’s about unpacking why a movie that centered BDSM failed to show how consent, agency, and erotic tension actually function in practice. It’s part critique, part craft analysis, and part public service announcement for anyone who thinks mood lighting counts as communication. Want to watch along? Our reaction covers 1:22:10–1:29:34. We cut around the clip, so it won’t sync perfectly, but you’ll absolutely get the point. ----------------------------------------- Credits — Fifty Shades of Grey Director: Sam Taylor-Johnson Writer (Screenplay): Kelly Marcel Writer (Novel): E. L. James Producers: Michael De Luca; Dana Brunetti; E. L. James Actors (featured): Dakota Johnson; Jamie Dornan © 2015 Focus Features / Trigger Street Productions / Michael De Luca Productions. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------- Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    39 min

  4. 12/19/2025 · BONUS

    Back Arches & Check-Ins | Why “Heated Rivalry” Gets Queer Sex Right

    We heard you. LOUDLY. In this very special holiday Bonus Episode, Ariel and Morgan dive headfirst into Heated Rivalry, the wildly requested gay hockey romance that dropped on November 28 and immediately set the internet on fire.  Based on Rachel Reid’s beloved romance novels, the series follows Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov, two elite professional hockey players whose rivalry turns into a secret, years-long love affair. What starts as a teenage hookup evolves into a deeply emotional, highly physical relationship that unfolds over nearly a decade, on and off the ice.  Ariel and Morgan break down multiple intimacy scenes from the first two episodes and unpack why Heated Rivalry feels so different from most male-male sex scenes on TV. They get into it all: Why these sex scenes feel unusually realistic, tender, and embodiedHow athletic bodies move differently and why that matters for choreographyThe importance of aftercare, communication, and check-ins onscreenWhat the show gets right about first times, awkward moments, and learning each other’s bodiesWhy queer intimacy is so often shortened and how Heated Rivalry refuses to cut awayThe now-iconic back arch that has gay Twitter in a chokeholdThis episode celebrates queer sex that’s messy, hot, funny, imperfect, and deeply human, and why representation like this actually matters. It’s all the spice, none of the filler, and a perfect way to close out the year before we return January 7th.  Give a Little Queer Holiday Love Please consider supporting organizations that protect and uplift LGBTQ youth. A few of our favorites: Trans Lifeline GLAAD Transanta ----------------------------------------- Credits — Heated Rivalry Creator / Director / Writer: Jacob Tierney  Producers: Bell Media / Crave (limited series)  Intimacy Coordinator: Chala Hunter  Actors (selected): Hudson Williams (Shane Hollander); Connor Dory (Ilya Rozanov).  © 2024 Bell Media / Crave. All rights reserved. Based on the novels: Rachel Reid (Heated Rivalry (2009), The Long Game (2022)) Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    32 min

  5. 12/17/2025

    A Christmas Orgy | Voyeurism in “Eyes Wide Shut”

    It’s our second holiday episode, which means it’s time for a true Christmas classic: Stanley Kubrick’s Eyes Wide Shut (1999), a film that somehow contains one of the most infamous orgy scenes in cinema history. In this episode, Ariel and Morgan unpack the cultural mythology surrounding the masked ritual scene and explain what the film is really doing beneath the cloaks, candles, and choreography. Spoiler: it’s not about pleasure, it’s about power, performance, and male insecurity.  They break down: Why the orgy may function more as theater than eroticismHow masking, choreography, and voyeurism guide the audience’s gazeThe role of ritual, anonymity, and class in the scene’s designStanley Kubrick’s discomfort with sex and how that shapes the final resultAriel's hottest take ever (possibly in the history of cinema? You decide.)This episode reframes the orgy not as transgression, but as a deeply controlled performance: one that exposes how sex, status, and masculinity are staged, surveilled, and policed. Equal parts film history, intimacy analysis, and holiday chaos, this one pairs best with a glass of wine, a Venetian mask, and a healthy distrust of men in cloaks. Give a Little Queer Holiday Love If you’re feeling the spirit, consider supporting organizations that protect and uplift trans and LGBTQ youth. A few of our favorites: Trans Lifeline GLAAD Transanta Even a small donation helps keep queer kids safe, supported, and celebrated, and that’s the kind of holiday magic we believe in. ----------------------------------------- Credits — Eyes Wide Shut (1999) Director: Stanley Kubrick Writers: Stanley Kubrick; Frederic Raphael Based on the novella: Traumnovelle (Dream Story) by Arthur Schnitzler Producers: Stanley Kubrick Choreography (uncredited influence): Yolande Snaith Actors (featured in discussed scenes): Tom Cruise; Julian Davis; Abigail Good; Cate Blanchett (voice, uncredited) © 1999 Warner Bros. / Pole Star / Hobby Films. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------- Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    38 min

  6. 12/03/2025

    The Sapphic Starter Pack | Unpacking the "Carol" Motel Scene

    For our holiday special, we’re entering The Sapphic Canon. This week, Ariel and Morgan are joined by filmmaker and comedy icon Amanda Holland (On the Phone with Ash and Amanda) to dissect one of the most breathtakingly intimate love scenes in queer cinema: the motel moment from Todd Haynes’ Carol (2015). From tension you could pour over pancakes to the robe pull that changed lesbian history, the trio breaks down why this scene still feels like a masterclass in sensual restraint, visual storytelling, and character vulnerability.  They unpack it all: How power dynamics shift without a word, told only through body languageWhy the simulated oral moment works… and where it gets a little thigh-heavyHow Cate Blanchett seduces by doing absolutely nothing except existing in a robe (a power move we should all aspire to)This episode is equal parts craft, chaos, holiday cheer, and deep queer yearning: the perfect festive treat. Give a Little Queer Holiday Love If you’re feeling the spirit, consider supporting organizations that protect and uplift trans and LGBTQ youth year-round. A few of our favorites: Buy Fruity TV Gear (Like a Christmas Carol or Happy HoliGays) here!  The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ Ali Forney Center: https://www.aliforneycenter.org/ Even a small donation helps keep queer kids safe, supported, and celebrated, and that’s the kind of holiday magic we believe in. ----------------------------------------- Director: Todd Haynes Writers: Phyllis Nagy (screenplay); Patricia Highsmith (novel) Producers: Elizabeth Karlsen; Christine Vachon; Stephen Woolley Actors (selected): Cate Blanchett; Rooney Mara © 2015 Number 9 Films / Killer Films / Film4 Productions. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------- Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    39 min

  7. 11/26/2025

    Rough Romance | Breaking Down All the Breaking in “Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1”

    Marking the end of hoa hoa hoa season, we finally did it. We tackled the honeymoon scene: the headboard-shattering, pillow-exploding, furniture-destroying moment that launched a thousand fanfics and exactly zero realistic intimacy expectations. In this episode, Ariel and Morgan break down why Edward and Bella’s “rough sex” isn’t rough… or even sex-adjacent. From supernatural metaphors to YA-safe choreography, they unpack how a scene expected to portray feral passion somehow ends up looking like a vampire doing light construction work. We get into it all: Why the choreography feels like a Marvel fight scene wearing a silk robeHow PG-13 rules shape what “intensity” is allowed to look like onscreenWhy the scene is accidentally more about property damage than eroticismBella’s incredible chill despite the world’s craziest bruisesHow an intimacy coordinator might approach supernatural strength without losing human stakesAnd whether anyone in film history has ever looked more relaxed in freezing cold waterIt’s part genre analysis, part supernatural thirst discourse, and part home-renovation commentary, a true Faking It classic. ----------------------------------------- Director: Bill Condon Writer (Screenplay): Melissa Rosenberg Writer (Novel): Stephenie Meyer Producers: Wyck Godfrey; Karen Rosenfelt; Stephenie Meyer Actors (featured in the scene): Kristen Stewart; Robert Pattinson © 2011 Summit Entertainment / Temple Hill Entertainment / Sunswept Entertainment. All rights reserved. ----------------------------------------- Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    38 min

  8. 11/19/2025

    For the Love of Muscle | Celebrating Athletic Bodies (and Intimacy) in "Love Lies Bleeding"

    This one’s flexing in all the right ways. Ariel and Morgan break down the sweaty, gritty, gloriously unhinged intimacy of Love Lies Bleeding, a film where bodies don’t just collide, they transform. From gym-floor lust to desert-heat devotion, they explore how the movie uses athleticism, desire, and danger to tell a love story that’s as physical as it is emotional. They get into it all: Why Love Lies Bleeding treats strength as a love languageHow the film choreographs intimacy that’s sexy, sweaty, and deeply character-drivenThe power (and vulnerability) of hyper-built bodies in erotic storytellingWhat makes Kristen Stewart and Katy O’Brian’s chemistry feel so raw, charged, and groundedHow muscle, menace, and mythology collide in this neon-soaked queer thrillerAnd yes… what it means to stage a scene where love might actually burst a veinThis episode is equal parts admiration, analysis, and gym-class nostalgia,  celebrating the beauty, intensity, and feral tenderness of one of the most unforgettable romances in recent memory. (A big thank you to our listener Brielle for suggesting this one!) ----------------------------------------- Director: Rose Glass Writers: Rose Glass; Weronika Tofilska  Producers: Andrea Cornwell; Oliver Kassman  Actors (selected): Kristen Stewart; Katy O’Brian © 2024 A24 / Film4 / Lobo Films / Escape Plan ----------------------------------------- Support the show 🔗 Connect & Support the Show 👀 Watch the Video Version: See our reactions! The video podcast is available on Spotify and YouTube. 💌 Suggest a Scene & Get Bonuses: Join our Patreon to request movies for us to break down and access exclusive bonus episodes. patreon.com/FakingItThePod 📱 Follow Us for Chaos: Get behind-the-scenes content and updates on Instagram @FakingItThePod 🌐 Visit Our Website: Find all our links and more at FakingItThePod.com 🎧 Subscribe for Free: Never miss an episode! Subscribe to Faking It on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. 💬 Review Us: Love the show? Give us 5 stars! It helps other listeners discover us. Stay real, Fakers 🫡 Legal Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are our own. This episode is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Nothing here is intended to defame, slander, or infringe upon any individual or entity. All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their respective owners.

    33 min
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About

Faking It with Ariel and Morgan is the podcast that strips down the mystery of Hollywood’s most private moments, and makes you laugh while doing it. Hosted by Intimacy Coordinators Ariel Leigh Cohen and Morgan Smith, each episode dives into the world of film sets, sex scenes, and all the awkward, hilarious, and surprisingly tender stories that come with them.From behind-the-scenes Hollywood secrets to spicy movie moments, we’re here to answer the questions you didn’t even know you had: How do actors fake it? What really happens under the covers on set? And what the actors are really wearing?Expect a mix of comedy, storytelling, and real talk about intimacy, relationships, filmmaking, and the art of pretending. If you’re into funny film podcasts, behind-the-scenes stories, acting tips, NSFW comedy, and Hollywood chaos, you’ve just found your new obsession.Subscribe now and stay real, Fakers.

Information

  • Creator
    Ariel Leigh Cohen & Morgan Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Faking It with Ariel and Morgan
  • Show Website
    Faking It with Ariel and Morgan

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